Portable and fully adjustable punching bag exercise system

ABSTRACT

A portable, fully adjustable punching bag exercise system is disclosed whereby a punching bag structure is releasably mounted to virtually any firm foundational structure and is fully adjustable to any height or distance in front of the user for use in physical training. The punching bag is suspended in any orientation via attachment to a spring means which is adjustable in order to control the speed or action of the bag to suit users of varying skill levels. A preferred embodiment also has an optional rebounding means that is fully adjustable for the further control of the effective speed or action of the bag by adjusting the maximum angular deviation of the bag relative to its support mechanism at which the bag is caused to bounce back towards the user. Alternative embodiments include resistance straps which elastically couple the belt assembly to the user&#39;s hands in order to provide resistance to the punching motion for enhanced physical training and a multi-bag design which provides for enhanced dexterity training.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) on U.S.Provisional application No. 60/452,784 entitled BELT MOUNTED, FULYADJUSTABLE PUNCHING BAG EXERCISE DEVICE, filed on Mar. 8, 2003, byWilliam W. Clayton and Carrie M. Clayton.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to exercise devices, and more particularly, to aportable and fully adjustable punching bag exercise system which enablesthe practice thereof at virtually any location. Varying releasablepunching bag mounting means are provided which allows the punching bagexercise system to be adaptably mounted to differing types of structuresin order to enhance the available exercise modes and regimens providedthereby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous devices have been developed for the sport of boxing thatprovide aerobic as well as anaerobic conditioning in addition toenhancing the eye/hand coordination of the boxer. An example of one ofthese devices is a punching bag or “speed bag” which generally comprisesa resilient inflatable bag that is swivelly mounted to a rigid supportstructure. The inflatable bag is generally light in weight and resilientin nature thus imparting a bounce action when struck by a fast movingobject such as a list of a user.

Traditionally, the rigid support structure has been characterized by aflat generally horizontally oriented planar board which is mounted to awall, ceiling, or other like structure and is positioned at a height ator slightly above the user's head. Upon being struck by the list of auser, the bag is caused to swivel rapidly upon its swivelly mountedconnection. The speed of the inflatable bag is accentuated by a bouncingaction that occurs when contacting the planar board at high speeds. Thedrawback of this type of device is that the rigid support structure mustbe made relatively large and as such, requires cumbersome attachingmeans for attachment to a ceiling, wall, or other structure. Inaddition, the board must be sufficiently secured to the ceiling in orderto minimize excessive reverberations caused by the inflatable bagbouncing off of the planar board and thus does not easily lend itself toa portable mounting arrangement which can be removed and placed instorage following each exercise session. Another drawback of this typeof device is that the relative speed at which the punching bag movesthrough its available range of motion is dictated substantially by thesize of the punching bag. Thus a novice user must use a larger punchingbag which moves slower due to its longer arcuate motion and softerbounce off of the planar board. As the agility and skill of the userincreases, another smaller bag which has a faster motion must bepurchased; that is, a single punching bag is not adaptable to users ofvarying skill levels.

Various devices have been proposed that enable the portable use of apunching bag and examples of such devices include U.S. Pat. No.3,030,109 to Albitz, and Pat. No. D440,269 to Thomas. Although both ofthese devices are portable in nature, they are cumbersome and difficultto use and store due to the necessity of a conventional planar boardwhich is relatively large in size. The angular resonant frequency orspeed of the punching bag is defined as the inverse of the naturalcyclicle period at which the punching bag swings through its arcuatemotion. The use of the planar board has served to decrease the effectivecyclicle period and thus inversely increase the speed or action of thebag by providing a rebounding action thereto. Thus, although the use ofthe planar board as described by Albitz and Thomas is relatively largeand cumbersome, it does serve to increase the speed or action of the bagthereby providing a challenging and useful workout for the user. U.S.Pat. No. 2,400,105 to Costello discloses a portable punching bag devicehaving releasable mounting means suited for releasable attachment to thewaist of a user, however no provisions have been made which allows forselective adjustment of the angular resonant frequency or speed of thebag. In addition, no means are provided to increase the speed or actionof the bag using a planar board or other similar device. The '105 devicealso describes no releasable mounting means to any structure other thana waist mounted arrangement. That is, the '105 device does not teach,nor suggest the use of a punching bag which is adaptable for releasableattachment to varying types of structures. In addition, U.S. Pat. No.5,607,377 to Wilkinson discloses a punching bag device having aresilient rod member for imparting a resonant pendulum-like actionthereto. However the '377 device does not disclose nor teach any meansof changing the effective speed or action of the punching bag withoutalso necessitating modification of the height of the big relative to theuser.

There has thus been a long-felt, unsatisfied need for a portablepunching bag exercise system that is light and portable for use at anylocation. The punching bag arrangement should be structurally sound inorder to allow repeated use without failure and following use, can bepackaged into a small space for easy storage. Optionally, the effectivespeed of the punching bag about its swivel mount should be adjustable sothat users of varying skill levels will be able to practice without theneed to purchase an assortment of variable sized punching bags for usethereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTIVES

The present invention provides a solution to these needs as well asother needs via a portable, fully adjustable punching bag exercisesystem. THE system includes a punching bag which is attached to a springmeans which positions the bag in any preselected orientation when atrest. The orientation of the punching bag is defined as the angulardirection that the bag faces when the spring means is in its quiescentstale. The resilience of the spring means is optionally adjustable inorder to allow selective modification to the speed or action in whichthe bag moves during use. In addition, optionally adjustable reboundingmeans are provided which further enhances the effective speed or actionof the bag by incorporating a bouncing action of the resilient bagagainst a rigid surface in a similar manner to conventional planarbackboards. Preferred embodiments include punching bag mounting meanswhich provides for releasable attachment to the waist of a user inaddition to providing releasable attachment to other types of exerciseequipment such as exercise bars, conventional punching bag structures,stationary bicycles, and the like. In addition, multiple bags may beconfigured together in order to provide a punching bag practice devicewhich further challenges the skill of a user.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed wherein apunching bag is mounted via an adjustable length stem onto a belt whichextends around the user's waist for support therefrom. The angle of theextension rod with respect to the belt, in addition to the lengththereof, is proportionally adjustable to suit users of any size and armlength. The punching bag is swivelly connected to the extension rod viaa spring means which biases the punching bag in the generally uprightposition. Optionally, an adjustable rebounding means is adjustablymounted to the lower portion of the spring means so that the punchingbag is allowed to bounce therefrom in order to effect a means wherebythe effective speed or action of the bag is fully adjustable by theuser. Other preferred embodiments include punching bag mounting meanswhich are adapted for releasable connection to firm foundationalstructures such as exercise bars, and the like or even other boxingexercise devices such as heavy bags.

One aspect of the present invention contemplates the use of a springmeans for flexible, resilient support of the punching bag in apredetermined user selected orientation. Thus, the use of the punchingbag exercise system of the present invention no longer requires that thebag dangle in a downwards depending direction from its support apparatuswhile in use. The use of the spring means allows the bag to bepositioned in any orientation including a generally upright as well as agenerally sideways orientation. Optionally, the spring means may operatein conjunction with a linear tensioning means in order to allow the userto modify the effective speed of the punching bag about its supportstructure and thus control the speed or action of the bag. Thus a userwill be able to modify the speed of the punching bag to suit his or hertastes as well as current skill level without the need to purchase extrabags.

Another aspect of the present invention is a spring means which may be astandard metallic spring or made from an elongated section of resilientcomposite material such as shock corded fiberglass, graphite fiber rod,or other similarly suitable material. A preferred embodiment isdisclosed which utilizes an elongated section of fiberglass impregnatedpolyester rod which presents the necessary resiliency to impart a cyclicpendulum action to the bag upon being struck by a user and issufficiently durable to resist breaking during normal use. The naturalspeed of the bag may be engineered to any acceptable level by adjustingthe grade of composite used, as well as the thickness and length of therod.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aportable, fully adjustable punching bag exercise system which isreleasably mountable to any firm foundational structure for practice ofthe sport of boxing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable,filly adjustable punching bag exercise device which is releasablymounted to a user's waist for practice of the sport of boxing. Thedevice is fully adaptable for users of varying sizes and arm lengths byproviding adjustable means in order to position the punching bag at anydesired location in front of the user.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable,fully adjustable punching bag exercise system which is lightweight andeasily stored. The punching bag device is releasably mountable to anystable, rigid platform for structural support therefrom and thus doesnot require any permanent or heavy and cumbersome mounting mechanisms.Therefore, the device may be used at any location and easily storedfollowing each use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable,fully adjustable punching bag exercise device in which the angularvelocity of the punching bag is adjustable via a resiliency adjustmentmeans which provides for controlling the effective speed and thus thespeed or action of the bag in order to suit users of varying skilllevels.

Another related object of the present invention is to provide aportable, fully adjustable punching bag device having a rebounding meanswhich is fully adjustable for the further control of the speed or actionof the bag by enabling the adjustment of the maximum angular deviationof the bag relative to its support mechanism at which the bag is causedto bounce back towards the user. Alternatively, the user may easilyremove the backstop from the punching bag device if the aforementionedbounce action is not desired.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readilyapparent to those familiar with the construction and use of punching bagdevices and will become apparent in the following portions of thespecification, wherein the detailed description is for the purpose offully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placinglimitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and theadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptionstaken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred embodiment of the presentinvention with the adjustable length stem in the fully contractedposition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 shownreleasably mounted in operative engagement on the waist of a user.

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an elevational sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 withthe front side of the spring, canister, and end-pieces cut away to showthe arrangement of the components of the canister assembly.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention having resistance straps that elastically couple the hands ofthe user to the belt assembly to further aid in physical training of theuser.

FIG. 6 a is an elevational sectional view of the canister assembly ofFIG. 10 shown with alternative rebounding means comprising an impactplate and disk arrangement with the front side of the spring, canister,end-pieces, round-shaped disk, and impact plate, cut away, wherein thethe bag is shown in a generally upright orientation with the springmeans in its quiescent state.

FIG. 6 b is an elevational view of the canister assembly of FIG. 6 ashown with the round-shaped disk contacting the impact plate wherein theangular orientation of the punching bag diverted to its maximum angulardisplacement relative to the canister.

FIG. 7 a is a plan view of the upper end-piece of the alternativerebounding means of FIG. 10.

FIG. 7 b is a side elevational view of the upper end-piece of FIG. 7 a.

FIG. 8 a is a side elevational view of the round-shaped disk of thealternative rebounding means of FIG. 10.

FIG. 8 b is a plan view of the round-shaped disk of FIG. 8 a.

FIG. 9 a is a plan view of the impact plate of the alternativerebounding means of FIG. 10.

FIG. 9 b is a side elevational view of the impact plate of FIG. 9 a.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention shown having a mounting means comprising of a splitcollar for attachment to any cylindrical object and an alternativerebounding means.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention having a spring means comprised of rod-shapedcomposite material and two additional side bags mounted on the sides ofthe canister assembly wherein the punching bag mounting means has beenomitted from the figure of clarity.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 wherein thepunching bag mounting means has been omitted from the figure forclarity.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention having an alternative punching bag mounting meanscomprising an annular belt which is adapted for releasable attachmentaround the periphery of a conventional heavy bag.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of one portion of the embodimentof FIG. 13 showing the assembly of layers of the annular belt withrespect to mounting means of one of the side bags.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-14 represent several embodimentsand designs of a punching bag exercise system which is portable andeasily adaptable for use in any environment. Each of the variousembodiments, however, share the commonly novel feature of at least oneconventional punching bag which is attached to various structuralobjects by a resiliently adjustable spring means for resilient supportthereof in any user selectable orientation. A first embodiment depictinga device 10 of the present invention having a punching bag mountingmeans which is adapted for releasable attachment to the torso or waistof a user is shown in FIGS. 1 through 5. The punching bag device 10 hasa belt assembly 12 for releasable securement around a user's waist, andan adjustable length stem 30 which is swivelly connected to the beltassembly 12 at its proximal end. The adjustable length stem 30 isrotatably connected to a canister assembly 60 at its distal end therebyallowing said canister assembly to be rigidly disposed at any distance,angle, and orientation from the user's waist. The canister assembly 60has a generally hollow interior section and has a spring meanscomprising a metallic compression spring 78 disposed upon the upperaperture thereof for resilient support of a punching bag 70 in agenerally upright position. The punching bag device also has a backstop100 Which causes the punching bag 70 to rebound back towards the userwhen struck, is swivelly mounted to the canister assembly 60 and is userselectively positioned at a any distance, and orientation behind thebag.

As shown in FIG. 3, the belt assembly 12 embodying the present inventionis constructed of an elongated section of material, preferably top-grainleather, or the like and contains a buckle arrangement 14 for releasableattachment around a user's waist. The present embodiment utilizes abuckle arrangement however it is well known in the art that otherreleasable attachment means such as hook-and-loop releasable attachmentmeans may also be used. A belt stiffener 16 which has a ball mountarrangement 30 attached to its front surface is sandwiched in betweentwo additional pieces of backing material 18. The belt stiffener 16 isformed from 16 guage steel having hinges 20 whose axes extend verticallyin order to allow the belt assembly 12 to bend easily along itselongated extent. Nevertheless, it is well known in the art that thebelt stiffener 16 may be made from metal or any material that wouldprovide structural integrity for the punching bag assembly by abatingexcessive warping or bending of the belt assembly during normal use.Both pieces of backing material, preferably made of top-grain leatherare dimensioned to be slightly larger then the belt stiffener 16 and areattached around the entire periphery of the belt stiffener 16 usingstitches, or other suitable attachment means.

The adjustable length stem 30 comprises an elongated section of plasticor the like defining a hollow cylinder 32 into which a plastic extensionrod 34 may be placed therein and held in position using a thumbscrew 36.The outside diameter of the extension rod 34 is slightly smaller thanthe inside diameter of the hollow cylinder 32 whereby the extension rodmay be slidably received thereinto thus forming a structure whoseeffective length can be easily manipulated between a shorter contractedposition and a longer extended position. The thumbscrew 36 is a simplebolt structure that has an enlarged head for easy access by a user andis threadably receivable into a like threaded aperture (not shown) whichis attached to the side of the cylinder 32. The proximal end of theadjustable length stem 30 has a flange 38 for attachment to a ball mountarrangement 42. The ball mount arrangements (40 and 42) each have a ball44 which is swivelly mounted in sockets formed by two elongated piecesof material defining a dual socket arrangement 46 having concave socketcavities 48 located at the ends to receive each ball therein. The ballmount arrangements (40 and 42), and dual socket arrangement 46 may beconstructed of any suitable material, preferably lightweight aluminum. Abolt 50 extends through holes 52 intermediate the socket cavities of thedual socket arrangement 46 and serves to rigidly hold the adjustablelength stem 30 at any user selectable angular orientation with respectto the belt assembly 12 when tightened.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the canister assembly 60 embodying thepresent invention comprises an elongated piece of aluminum, or the likecanister 62 defining a square, hollow cross-section that is attached tothe adjustable length stem 30 using a bracket 64. The bracket 64 issecured to the distal end of the adjustable length stem 30 using a boltor other suitable means and has two prongs which extend forward to forma rotatable connection to the canister assembly 60 via bolts 66. Asshown in greater detail in FIG. 4, the punching bag 70 is rigidlysecured to a swivel shaft 72 via a cup-shaped insert 74 that isgenerally frustoconical in shape and attached thereto using adhesives,staples, or the like. A spring seat 76 is attached to the insert andswivel shaft 72 for vertical support of the punching bag 70 upon thespring 78. A section of connecting chain 80 having a predeterminedlength interconnects a swivel 82 attached to the bottom of the swivelshaft 72 to a chamber swivel 84 located therebelow. The chamber swivel84 is slidably movable within the canister 62 yet is not allowed torotate within the canister due to its generally square shape. Atensioning bolt 86 is attached to the chamber swivel 84 and isthreadably received by a thumb-nut 88 disposed below the canister 62.Upper end-piece 90 fits snugly into the upper aperture of the canister62 and provides a seat for the bottom end of the spring 78. Lowerend-piece 92 fits into the lower aperture of the canister 62 and has allaperture for passage of the tensioning bolt 86 therethrough. Rotatingthe thumb-nut 88 in a clockwise direction causes the tensioning bolt 86to move into the thumb-nut body and thus causes the-spring 78 to becompressed accordingly. Conversely, rotating the thumb-nut in acounter-clockwise direction causes the tensioning bolt 86 to move out ofthe thumb-nut body and thus causes the spring 78 to be released. Thus, auser will be able to control the angular resonant frequency of thepunching bag 70, or in other words, the speed at which the striking bagswings by selective rotation of the thumb-nut 88.

An optional adjustable backstop arrangement 100 embodying the presentinvention defining a type of rebounding means comprises a generallyrectangular shaped board 102 which causes the punching bag 70 to bounceback towards the user when struck thereby. The position of the board 102relative to the punching bag 70 is adjustable thereby providing furthermanipulation of the speed at which the punching bag 70 swings whenstruck by a user. For novice users, the backstop may be positioned suchthat a large angular displacement of the punching bag 70 relative to thecanister assembly 60 is necessary in order to ‘bounce’ the punching bag70 back towards the user. As skill and agility are attained throughpractice with the device, the backstop may be incrementally repositionedsuch that a smaller angular displacement of the punching bag 70 relativeto the canister assembly 60 is necessary in order to ‘bounce’ thepunching bag 70 back towards the user. Moreover, the speed of the bagcan be manipulated by the relative positioning of the board 102. Thebackstop may be made of any suitable material, preferably fiberboard, orthe like and is attached to the generally upright surface of a L-shapedbracket 104 using bolts which extend through apertures in the backstopand L-shaped bracket. A ball mount arrangement 106 is attached to thelower surface of the L-shaped bracket 104 thereby defining a mountingposition for the flange of the ball mount arrangement 106 that isperpendicular to the surface of the board 102. Another ball mountarrangement 108 of similar design and size is attached to the outersurface of the canister 62 opposite the adjustable length stem 30. Theball mount arrangements (106 and 108) each have a ball 110 which isswivelly mounted in sockets formed by two elongated pieces of materialdefining a dual socket arrangement 112 having concave socket cavities114 located at the ends to receive each ball therein. The ball mountarrangements (106 and 108) and dual socket arrangement 112 may beconstructed of any suitable material, such as lightweight aluminum. Abolt 116 extends through holes 118 intermediate the socket cavities ofthe dual socket arrangement 112 and serves to rigidly hold the backstop102 at any user selectable angular orientation with respect to thecanister assembly 60 when tightened.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention inoperative engagement mounted on the waist of a user. To use the device,a user will strap the belt assembly 12 around his or her waist using thebuckle arrangement. Next, the angular orientation of the adjustablelength stem 30 as well as its length is adjusted via adjustment bolt 50and thumbscrew 36. The angular orientation of the adjustable length stem30 is accomplished by loosening the adjustment bolt 50 and swiveling theadjustable length stem 30 to the desired orientation and then tighteningthe bolt. It is important to note that the adjustment bolt 50 allows notonly elevational selective adjustment of the canister assembly 60relative to the user, but also lateral adjustment thereof as well. Thus,a user may proportionally position the canister assembly 60 to eitherside of their waist in order to mimic an actual boxing scenario whereinmostly the side of a user faces the intended target rather facing thetarget ‘head-on’. The adjustment of the distance of the canisterassembly 60 from the waist is accomplished by loosening thumbscrew 36and incrementally pulling extension rod 34 out of the hollow cylinder 32in order to lengthen the distance or conversely, pushing the extensionrod 34 into the hollow cylinder 32 in order shorten the distance andthen tightening the thumbscrew 36. These two adjustment mechanisms areused in tandem in order to set the punching bag 70 at the desired heightand distance from the user. The user may then test the bag using severalswings to test the speed of the bag and then adjust the thumb-nut 88 toset the desired speed of the bag 70 and the bolt 116 to set the angle atwhich the bag 70 bounces back toward the user. Alternatively, if thebounce action from the backstop 102 is not desired, the user may easilyremove the backstop assembly 100 by completely disengaging the bolt 116and removing the backstop assembly 100 from the device.

It is contemplated that resistance straps 120 may be used as shown inFIG. 5. Two resistance straps would be used, one for each hand of theuser to provide resistance during the punching motion to provide anextra measure of conditioning for the muscles in the user's arms. Theresistance straps 120 may each be made from an elongated section ofelastic rubber or the like defining a proximal end 122 and distal end124. The proximal end 122 is attached to a coil of wire 126 which isembraced therein via a snug fit. The end of the wire defines a wire hook128 which may be inserted into a belt loop 130. The belt loop 130 isconstructed of all elongated section of material, preferably leather andis attached to the front of the belt assembly 12 via stitching or thelike. The distal end 124 is doubled back and attached to itself viastitching or the like thus forming a hand loop 132 which may be placedover each hand of a user. To use, the hooks 128 of each resistance strap120 would be placed in a belt loop 130 and the corresponding hand loop132 placed around the hand of the user. The user would then practice thedevice as in the previous embodiment.

An alternative rebounding mechanism 140 along with an alternativepunching bag mounting means 158 is shown in FIGS. 6 through 10 in whicha round-shaped disk 142 is adapted to make contact with an adjustableimpact plate 146 in order to provide a bouncing action to the punchingbag 70 when a user selectable maximum angular displacement thereofrelative to the canister 62 is attained during use. The alternativerebounding mechanism 140 comprising a disk 142 and adjustable impactplate 146 could be used in lieu of the adjustable backstop arrangement100 of the previous embodiment. The canister 62, bracket 64, swivels (82and 84), spring seat 76, chain 80, spring 78, tensioning bolt 86, lowerend-piece 92, and thumb-nut 88 are similar in design and purpose to theembodiment of FIGS. 1 through 5. However the current embodiment differsin that an upper end-piece 150 which fits snugly into the upper apertureof the canister 62 providing a seat for the bottom of the spring 78 alsohas a cylindrical portion 152 integrally formed therewith for adjustablesupport of the impact plate 146. The outer periphery of the cylindricalportion 152 has threads to threadably receive the threaded inneraperture 148 of the impact plate thereby allowing the impact plate 146to be adjusted downwards or upwards relative to the canister 62 byrotation thereof in a clockwise or counter-clockwise directionrespectively. The disk 142 has an aperture 144 formed in the centerthereof to accept the swivel shaft 72 therethrough and is securely heldin rigid orientation relative to the punching bag 70 by being sandwichedin between the insert 74 and spring seat 76. Thus the user may rotatethe impact plate in order to adjust the maximum angular displacementwhich the punching bag 70 travels during use. To cause the bag 70 tohave a slower effective speed, the impact plate 146 would be rotatedclockwise in order to increase the maximum angular displacement that thebag 70 is allowed to travel, and conversely, the plate 146 would berotated in a counter-clockwise direction in order to decrease themaximum angular displacement and thus increase the effective speed oraction of the bag.

The current embodiment also incorporates a punching bag mounting meansdefining a split collar mechanism 158 which provides for releasableattachment to any cylindrical structure including bars of exerciseequipment such as exercise machines, exercise bars, treadmills,stationary bicycles, and the like. In fact, multiple punching bagdevices of the present invention may be temporarily mounted proximateeach other (not shown) in order to further challenge the skill of a userwherein the repetitious sequence of coordinating the bouncing actions ofmultiple bags is required. The split collar mechanism 158 is providedwith a hinge 160 which allows placement over any cylindrical structure162 of indeterminate length and a collar bolt 164 which locks the collar158 in any user selected position. The collar 158 may be secured to thebracket 64 using any suitable means, preferably a bolt 166 which allowsthe collar 158 to be selectively rotated relative to the bracket 64 andis locked into position via axially serrated surfaces (not shown)therebetween. Thus, the punching bag of the current embodiment may bereleasably affixed to a cylindrical structure having any orientation byremoving the collar bolt 164, placing the split collar 158 over thedesired portion of the cylindrical structure, and then inserting andtightening the bolt 164 until the cylindrical structure is firmlyembraced thereby. Next, the bolt 166 is temporarily loosened to ad justthe orientation of the canister and the bolt 166 re-tightened. Theaforementioned embodiment described the use of a split collar device asa mounting means for the punching bag of the present invention, howeverit will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other forms ofmounting means which enable releasable attachment to virtually any firmfoundational structure would be a viable alternative; an example of onesuch alterative is a flange mount device which enables releasableattachment of the punching bag system to a flat object such as a wall.In addition, the aforedescribed embodiment disclosed a canister 62 whichwas directly mounted to the split collar 158 via the bracket 64; howeverthe stem 30 as described in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 5 may alsobe implemented in order to provide a punching bag system whose height isindependently adjustable relative to the height of the cylindricalstructure 162.

Another alternative embodiment 170 of the present invention comprisesspring means which is defined as a composite flexible rod, preferably afiberglass impregnated polyester rod for flexible movement of thepunching bag 70 about a canister 172 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.Additionally, optional left 190 and right 192 side-bag arrangements areincluded in order to form a multi-bag arrangement for furtherenhancement of the exercise regimen. No punching bag mounting means areshown in the drawings for the purpose of clarity of description;nevertheless, it is to be understood that either the waist mountedpunching bag mounting means as described in FIGS. 1-5 or a cylindricalstructure punching bag mounting means as described in FIG. 6-10 would beviable alternatives. It is important to note that the adjustable lengthstem 30 as described in FIGS. 1-5 should be incorporated with theembodiment of FIGS. 6-10 if optional left 190 and right 192 side-bagarrangements are used in order to allow freedom of movement thereof dueto the indeterminate length bar 162 in close proximity thereto.

The device 170 generally comprises a canister 172 comprising anelongated section of material, preferably aluminum, defining a square,hollow cross-section having upper and lower ends. The canister isattached to any punching bag mounting means via bracket 64 in a manneras hereinbefore described. An upper end-piece 174 which has a flangedsurface at its lower extremity for providing a snug fit over the upperend of the canister 172 and is held thereto using screws. The upperend-piece 174 also has a tube integrally formed therewith for receipt ofthe bottom portion of a section of flexible rod 180 therein and isreleasably held in a user selectable position via set screw 182.Conversely, the top portion of the flexible rod 180 is rigidly securedto the bottom of the punching bag 70 via a cup-shaped insert 184 whoseexterior surface is generally frustoconical in shape in conjunction witha rod attachment member 186 attached thereto. The rod attachment member186 has a downwardly depending tube integrally formed therewith forreceipt of upper end of the flexible rod 180 therein. The flexible rodof the present embodiment is made from a 3/16 inch thick section ofsolid, round cross-section fiberglass reinforced polyester rod, howeverit is well known in the art that there are other types of compositematerials exhibiting good resilient characteristics which would be avalid substitute. Nevertheless, the cross-sectional shape of the rod maybe any shape, in fact, the resiliency of the rod with respect to theforward/backward movement as opposed to the sideways movement thereofmay be tailored by the use of non-symmetrical shapes such as oval, oregg-shaped cross-sectional shapes. It is to be understood that varyingthe thickness of the rod will also effect a corresponding change in theaction or speed of the bag; that is, a rod having a thickercross-section will cause the bag to have a faster action and a thinnerrod will cause the bag to have a slower action. Nevertheless, the speedor action of the punching bag 70 is immediately adjustable by the uservia set screw 182. Thus, the speed of the bag 70 may be adjusted byloosening the set screw 182, lowering or raising the rod 180 from theupper end-piece 174 in order to increase or decrease the action of thebag respectively, and then re-tightening the set screw.

The optional left 190 and right 192 side-bag arrangements each comprisea flexible rod 180, insert 184, and rod attachment member 186, which issimilar in design and purpose to vertically oriented punching bag 70,however both side bag arrangements (190 and 192) differ in that thelower end of the flexible rod 180 are secured to the sides of thecanister 172 via side-bag mounts. The side-bag mounts essentiallycomprise a tube member 196 which is integrally attached to a flangemember 198 for releasable securement to the sides of the canister 172using conventional bolts. Thus, if use of either of the side-bagarrangements (190 and 192) is not desired, they may be removed from thecanister 172 by removing the bolts which hold the side-bag mounts inplace and storing the side-bags away from the punching bag system.

Another alternative device according to the present inventioncontemplates a punching bag mounting means 200 comprising a support belt202 for releasable attachment of a punching bag of the instant inventionto a heavy bag 204 as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The mounting meansdescribed in this embodiment along with the mounting means as describedin the aforementioned embodiments, serves to demonstrate the widelyvaried types of mounting means that may implemented with a spring meanssupported punching bag which is capable of placement in any userselected orientation and on virtually any type of structural object. Thepresent embodiment 200 utilizes two side bag arrangements (190 and 192)as described in the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12 which are mounted tothe support belt 202 using conventional bolts 206 and their associatednuts. The support belt 202 may be constructed from any flexible, hightensile strength material, preferably leather, which can withstandrelatively large amounts of physical abuse without ripping or tearing.In addition, the support belt 202 is preferably constructed from twoessentially equally sized pieces of leather material defining an outerlayer 208 and an inner layer 210 which are sewn together along theirouter periphery with two belt stiffening plates 212 sandwichedtherebetween. The two belt stiffening plates 212 are disposed apredetermined distance apart within the belt such that each of the sidebag arrangements (190 and 192) will be positioned at generally opposingsides of the heavy bag 204 when releasably attached thereto. The beltstiffening plates 212 are preferably made of 16 guage carbon steel, andserve to distribute the torsional forces placed on the support belt 202by each of the side bag arrangements (190 and 192). FIG. 14 shows anexploded view of the arrangement of layers demonstrating the attachmentmeans of the left side bag arrangement 190 to the support belt 202 viaone of the belt stiffening plates; however, it is to be understood thatthe attachment means of the right side bag arrangement 192 issubstantially similar to the left side bag arrangement 190 and is thusnot shown in the drawings. The ends 214 of the support belt are heldtogether while in the installed position using hook-and-loop fasteningmaterial (not shown), although it is well known in the art that otherattachment devices such as buckles may be a suitable alternative. Touse, the support belt 202 is wrapped around a conventional heavy bag 204with both of the side bag arrangements oriented radially outwardstherefrom. Next, the ends of the belt 214 are pulled toward each otherin order to provide a tight constricted friction fit of the outersurface of the heavy bag 204 thereto and the ends 214 pressed togetherin order to engage the hook-and-loop fastening means. When the heavy bag204 is struck by a user, the resulting movement thereof will impartrelatively fast resonant motion into each of the side bags (190 and 192)due to the resilience of the flexible rods 180. Thus, the side bagsarrangements (190 and 192) will enhance the challenge of a conventionalheavy bag 204 by providing a swiftly moving target requiring dodging orstriking skills that was heretofore not known to the use of aconventional heavy bag.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, adisclosed preferred embodiment disclosed the use of a split collar forreleasable attachment to a cylindrical structure, however it is wellknown in the art that other devices may also be used which would becapable of mounting the punching bag of the present invention tovirtually any support object. The described embodiments therefore are tobe considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive.The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appendedclaims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which comewithin the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to beembraced within their scope.

1. A portable and fully adjustable punching bag exercise systemcomprising: at least one punching bag which provides a target to bestruck by the fist of a user; a punching bag mounting means comprising asplit collar means which provides for releasable attachment to acylindrical structure for support of said at least one punching bag inany user selected orientation; said punching bag mounting also havingheight adjustment means for support of said at least one punching bag atessentially any height relative to said user; said mounting means beinginterconnected to said punching bag; and a spring means which isrelatively resilient in consistency for imparting a rapid pendulum-likeresonant action to said punching bag due to said punching bag beingstruck by the fist of a user, said spring means having a resiliencyadjustment means for changing the effective resonant speed which the bagmoves when struck by said user, said resiliency adjusting means isgenerally independent of the height of the bag relative to said user. 2.(canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. The portable and fullyadjustable punching bag system of claim 1, further comprising: saidstructural object is a heavy bag; and said punching bag mounting meanscomprises an annular belt defining two ends and having a predeterminedlength sufficient to encircle the lateral periphery of a conventionalheavy bag, said two ends having releasable attachment means forreleasable securement of said annular belt to said heavy bag, saidannular belt being attachable at essentially any height on said heavybag.
 6. The portable and fully adjustable punching bag system of claim1, further comprising: said spring means is a metallic coil springhaving a proximal and distal end; and, resiliency adjustment means is aspring tensioning means which is interconnected to the proximal anddistends of said metallic coil spring, said tensioning means istensionably adjustable to adaptively modify the resilience of said coilspring and thus enable the adjustment of the resonant speed at whichsaid punching bag moves when struck by the fist of the user.
 7. Theportable and fully adjustable punching bag system of claim 1, whereinsaid spring means is a rod-shaped composite material having a uniformlysolid longitudinal cross-section.
 8. The portable and fully adjustablepunching bag system of claim 7, wherein said composite material is solidfiberglass reinforced polyester rod.
 9. The portable and fullyadjustable punching bag system of claim 7, wherein said resiliencyadjustment means comprises: a tube of predetermined length which isattached to said punching bag mounting means, said tube having an innerdiameter sufficient to allow slidable receipt of said rod-shapedcomposite material therewithin; and, a set screw which is threadablyengaged within the side of said tube in order to lock said rod-shapedcomposite material in any user selectable position within said tube,whereby said user may adjust the resonant speed at which said punchingbag moves when struck by the fist of said user without generallyadjusting the height of said punching bag relative to said user.
 10. Theportable and fully adjustable punching bag system of claim 1, wherein atleast one punching bag is at least two punching bags, said at least twopunching bags are generally oriented laterally with respect to saidpunching bag mounting means.
 11. The portable and fully adjustablepunching bag system of claim 10, wherein at least one punching bag isthree punching bags, two of said three punching bags are generallyoriented laterally with respect to said punching bag mounting means, oneof said three punching bags are oriented longitudinally with respect tosaid punching bag mounting means.
 12. (canceled)
 13. The portable andfully adjustable punching bag system of claim 1, further characterizedin that: said spring means is an elongated structure defining an upperend and lower end; said punching bag is generally tear-drop in shapehaving a lower apex defining a base, wherein aid base is rigidlyattached to the upper end of said spring means; and, includes arebounding means comprising a round-shaped disk which is co-axial to andrigidly mounted to the base of said punching bag, and an impact platewhich is threadably received to the lower end of said spring means forselective movement of said impact plate in a longitudinal directionrelative to said spring means, whereby the maximum angular displacementof said punching bag relative to said mounting means may be adjusted bysaid user.
 14. (canceled)
 15. (canceled)
 16. (canceled)
 17. The portableand fully adjustable punching bag system of claim 1, further comprising:said structural object is a heavy bag; and, said punching bag mountingmeans comprises an annular belt defining two ends and having apredetermined length sufficient to encircle the lateral periphery of aconventional heavy bag, said two ends have releasable attachment meansfor releasable securement of said annular belt to said heavy bag, saidannular belt being attachable at essentially any height on said heavybag.
 18. (canceled)
 19. A portable and fully adjustable punching bagexercise system comprising: at least one punching bag which provides atarget to be struck by the fist of a user; a punching bag mounting meanscomprising a split collar means which provides for releasable attachmentto a cylindrical structure for support of said at least one punching bagin any user selected orientation; said punching bag mounting also havingheight adjustment means for support of said at least one punching bag atessentially any height relative to said user; said mounting means beinginterconnected to said punching bag; a spring means which is relativelyresilient in consistency for imparting a rapid pendulum-like resonantaction to said punching bag due to said punching bag being struck by thefist of a user, said spring means having a resiliency adjustment meansfor changing the effective resonant speed which the bag moves whenstruck by said user, said resiliency adjusting means is generallyindependent of the height of the bag relative to said user[; and, arebounding means which is adapted to provide a bouncing action to saidpunching bag when a use's selectable maximum angular displacement ofsaid punching bag relative to said mounting means is attained duringuse, whereby said user may be able to adjust the effective resonantspeed at which said punching bag moves when struck by said user and thusproviding an exercise regimen which continually challenges the currentskill level of said user wherein; said spring means is an elongatedstructure defining an upper end and lower end; said punching bag isgenerally tear-drop in shape having a lower apex defining a base,wherein aid base is rigidly attached to the upper end of said springmeans; and, said rebounding means comprises a round-shaped disk which isco-axial to and rigidly mounted to the base of said punching bag, and animpact plate which is threadably received to the lower end of saidspring means for selective movement of said impact plate in alongitudinal direction relative to said spring means, whereby themaximum angular displacement of said punching bag relative to saidmounting means may be adjusted by said user.